November 9, 2001—A new World Wildlife Fund study indicates that energy efficiency policies and development of renewable energy resources could result in 750,000 new jobs nationwide over the next nine years and 1.3 million new jobs by 2020. According to the study “Clean Energy: Jobs for America’s Future” the US gross domestic product (GDP) would also increase by $23 billion by 2010 and continue to grow under such conditions. The net increase in US GDP would be $43.9 billion by 2020.
The policies analyzed in the WWF study would serve national interests in reducing American demand and therefore, dependency on oil. The study shows that these policies also create more jobs and offer greater economic benefits than can be generated by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A related benefit would be an additional $220 increase in annual wage and salary earnings per household by 2010, increasing to $400 per household by 2020.
The study is based on research and analysis conducted by the Tellus Institute on behalf of the World Wildlife Fund. The data used in the study is from the US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook for 2001 and Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Economic and Employment Projections.
For more information, visit the World Wildlife Fund Global Network.
